Wind by Neo and Latitude on the River Sue Manufacturers for Faulty Fire Sprinkler Systems – What Does This Mean?
As reported by the Miami Herald, at least two condo towers in the Brickell area have been discovered to have faulty plastic pipes in fire sprinkler systems that protect the high rise towers. Lawyers for the condominium associations at Wind by Neo and Latitude on the River (pictured above) have filed a federal lawsuit against Lubrizol, the Ohio-based sprinkler system company that installed the systems during the development phase of the buildings.
According to the lawsuit, the plastic pipes were made of CPVC and contain a resin that breaks down when combined with other common building materials. This causes leaks, cracks and a loss of pressure. Just a few months ago, residents of the Wind by Neo woke up to water pouring into their apartments, damaging several floors of the 41 story tower. More dangerous still, the subpar materials could cause the fire safety systems to not function properly in the event of a fire. According to the lawsuit, an engineer for Lubrizol warned the company of the issue after seeing damaged pipes from buildings across the country. The company officials decided at that point to not disclose the defects. Officials at Lubrizol have not yet commented on the issue.
So what happens now?
Attorneys for the building are estimating the cost of repair to be in excess of $50 million – $70 million at each building, and the issue could spread to other developments built around the same time as well. The issue could grow as large (if not larger than) the Chinese drywall issue of recent years. Remediation is lengthy, costly and complicated.
While the attorneys, condominium associations and manufacturers sort the issue out, what happens to the residents of the 943 apartments in the two towers? The Wind (located at 350 South Miami Avenue) has 489 apartments across 41 floors while Latitude on the River (located at 185 SW 7th Street) has 454 apartments across 44 floors. It has not been announced yet whether the residents will be able to remain in their homes during the remediation period, but we imagine that insurance companies would take issue with the risk.
Until the issue is resolved, lenders will not issue mortgages for apartments in the affected buildings, driving the prices down as cash-only purchases will be required. The extent of this adjustment is to be seen, since many of the resales in the area are already cash-only purchases.
At Latitude on the River, over the last 90 days, there have been 5 total closed sales with 1 being financed. The financed purchase was for a 1 bedroom apartment (Unit 1908) at $332/square foot. The average of the 4 cash purchases was $328/foot.
At Wind by Neo, there were 7 total closed sales in the same time period with only 1 being financed. The financed purchase was a 2 bedroom at $375,000 or $349/foot. It was Unit 2803. The average for the 6 other purchases that were cash came in at $341/foot.
Right now, it seems that only a small discount is rewarded to those who are buying without mortgages, but we are curious to see what will come in the future as the remediation gets underway.
Back in 2012, Latitude on the River was faced with a similar class action suit when Chinese drywall was discovered in a handful of the apartments. During that time, the market was on a steady increase after the crisis of 2008 and the building continued to increase in value along with the other properties in the neighborhood, albeit at a lower price than properties with similar layouts, views and amenities. Given that the average price per foot of resale properties over the last 3 months in Brickell is $432/foot, it seems that the trend continues.
We will continue to watch the affected buildings as more details come and will be available for anyone who would like to speak about individual scenarios.
Best Deal in Brickell! Fully Furnished 1 Bedroom Penthouse on the 44th Floor – $310,000
Update: Price has been reduced to $310,000. Includes furniture.
Earlier today, I got another new listing signed. This time a beautifully furnished 1 bedroom penthouse with 12-foot ceilings and ceramic tiled floors throughout. The 783 square foot condo is located on the 44th floor of Latitude on the River and offers amazing views of Biscayne Bay and the Brickell skyline to the south. The unit comes with one assigned parking space located on the 6th floor of the parking garage. That is extremely rare since almost all 1 bedroom units in the building come with one valet-only space. The kitchen comes equipped with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and white Italian cabinetry. The unit includes a large walk-in closet in the bedroom along with a second spacious closet in the hallway. It is important to note that this unit completely clears the Latitude One office building situated just in front of Latitude on the River. Most of the south facing units do not.
Latitude on the River is located at 185 SW 7 St, just two short blocks away from the upcoming mixed-use development called Brickell City Centre. The nine acre development will include an array of luxury shops and restaurants as well as a number of entertainment options. Phase one completion of the one billion dollar development is scheduled for next year.
The maintenance fee for this condo is $554.39 per month. Based on recent rental comparables, this furnished unit should easily rent for $2,000 per month on an annual basis. Renting the unit on a short-term basis would also be an option since Latitude on the River allows rentals with a 3 month minimum. Latitude is also a pet friendly building permitting up to 2 dogs with a maximum weight limit of 70 pounds.
Additional pictures of the penthouse, along with the floor plan and pictures of the building amenities, can be found in the slideshow below. Please contact me if you or someone you know has an interest in scheduling an appointment to view this beautiful condo in person. I am also available to answer any questions you may have. I can be reached via email at [email protected] or on my cell at 786-247-6332.
The Brickell Rental Market Under a Microscope
The rental market is a very interesting segment of the real estate market, not only for potential tenants on the prowl for a new pad but also current landlords and would-be investors trying to assess the demand for rentals across various neighborhoods and, more specifically, across various condo developments. Only a few years ago, the supply of rentals in Miami far outpaced demand. As a result, rental prices plunged and renters ruled the day. Fast forward to the present and an entirely different rental market is upon us in Miami. Nowadays, rental inventory is being absorbed quickly and overall rental prices are on the rise. For those living in Miami, I’m sure this a message that you have not only read in the local paper but have also heard directly from friends and family who have experienced it firsthand.
Obviously, not all neighborhoods and condo developments are created equal. Factors such as price, location, views, quality and recommendations from peers help determine rental demand. As a result, one would assume that demand can vary greatly from building to building and even neighborhood to neighborhood. Which condo developments are the leaders when it comes to rental demand and which are the laggards? More importantly, which buildings should we expect to see prices climb in the near future?
In this first segment, I decided to analyze the Brickell rental market to answer the above questions. Below, you will find a spreadsheet containing rental data for various condo developments in Brickell. Click the link below the spreadsheet to view it in its entirety.
Brickell Rental Market as of March 01, 2011
Columns C through G show the number of available rentals pertaining to each condo development grouped by number of bedrooms. Column I displays the total number of rentals available in each condo development while column J shows the total number of units within that development. I debated whether or not to include column K, the number of available rentals over the total number of units in the development expressed as a percentage, because the figure can be deceiving in buildings where developer inventory remains which has neither been sold nor rented. This is the case in buildings such as Icon Brickell and Infinity at Brickell. Regardless, I decided to include the figure because it can provide additional insight in buildings where this is not the case.
The main objective in creating this spreadsheet was to calculate months of inventory for each condo development. This can be seen in column M. Months of inventory was calculated by dividing total units available for rent by the monthly average number of units rented over a 3-month period from November 16, 2010 to February 15, 2011. You may be wondering why I did not include closed rental data from the past two weeks in determining the monthly average. I have noticed that it can take real estate agents days, and even weeks, to change the status of a rental in the MLS from pending to rented. As a result, I felt that the average would be skewed to the downside and not be an accurate representation of the Brickell rental market. Furthermore, if I had to venture a guess, I would also say that it is highly likely that around 10 percent of the total number of units available for rent are in fact no longer available. In this case, the listing agent has yet to change the status from available to pending.
Regardless, a lot can be ascertained from the spreadsheet above. In my opinion, any building with 1.5 months of inventory or less has a solid rental market. 1060 Brickell, The Plaza on Brickell and Vue at Brickell are standouts with absorption rates hovering around one month. I expect rentals prices in these developments to continue to rise in the near future. For those in the market to lease a condo in one of these developments, I advise that you act quickly and put your best foot forward when making an offer.
According to the spreadsheet, there is currently 2.29 months of rental inventory available in Brickell. Some may expect this number to increase as more units from Icon Brickell and Infinity at Brickell hit the rental market. Of course, this will all depend on how quickly the units become available and at what pace demand absorbs them. Only time will tell, but I plan to watch Brickell rental market closely and post updates on a monthly basis.
I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.
Special Approval Designation List for Miami-Dade Condo Developments
Below, you will find a list of condo developments in Miami-Dade County that have already received the special approval designation by Fannie Mae. The following are some of the larger and more widely recognized buildings. Lenders will now be able to originate and deliver mortgage loans to Fannie Mae in these condo developments.
Top 5 Distressed Condo Sales Closed in December 2009
Below, you will find what I believe to be the five best condo deals of the 59 distressed sales that closed in December 2009 in the MLS located in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami, and the Arts District.
- Uptown Lofts #1005 – 1 bedroom/2 bath (1,280 square feet) – This unit sold for $135,900, or $106 per square foot, on December 4, 2009. Foreclosure
- Cite on the Bay #3304 – 1 bedroom/1 bath (797 square feet) – This unit sold for $107,000, or $134 per square foot, on December 16, 2009. Short Sale
- Solaris at Brickell #1001 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,145 square feet) – This unit sold for $182,000, or $159 per square foot, on December 23, 2009. Short Sale
- Latitude on the River #2407 – 1 bedroom/1.5 bath (899 square feet) – This unit sold for $148,000, or $165 per square foot, on December 4, 2009. Short Sale
- 2 Midtown #M0707 – 2 bedroom/2 bath (986 square feet) – This unit sold for $165,000 or $167 per square foot, on December 7, 2009. Foreclosure
Brickell Condo Index – February 2009
A lot has changed since I last published the Brickell Condo Index three months ago. Condo foreclosures have continued to hit the market, financing has become extremely difficult to obtain and a few bulk condo deals have closed in that time. As a result, it should come as to no surprise that overall condo prices have continued to drop throughout Brickell within the past 3 months. The data used to compile the statistics below was collected on February 18, 2008 from the MLS. You may want to compare the following figures to those published three months ago in November 2008. Also, be sure to view the charts towards the bottom of this post to see how much Brickell condo prices have changed within the past 15 months.
The average asking prices of the 18 condo developments that comprise the Brickell Condo Index is currently $401.30 per square foot. This represents a 6.57 percent drop in average list prices over the past three months.
Average price per square foot of Brickell condos currently listed on the MLS:
The average price of Brickell condos sold over the past six months has gone up 1.51 percent to $296.00 per square foot from November’s average of $291.59. However, this is due to the fact that Four Seasons Residences had been excluded from the average in November due to no closings occurring within the previous six months. Four Seasons Residences has been reincluded in this month’s index as a result of a condo closing in December 2008. The average for Brickell condos sold over the past six months would have dropped 3.58 percent had it not been re-included. With the exception of Bristol Tower, average sales prices for each of the other Brickell condo developments dropped since the November update.
Average price per square foot of Brickell condos sold in the MLS within the past six months:
- Atlantis – 2025 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $228.95
- Brickell on the River – 31 SE 5 St | 33131 | $234.18
- Bristol Tower – 2127 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $385.20
- Emerald at Brickell – 218 SE 14 St | 33131 | $209.63
- Four Seasons Residences – 1425 Brickell Ave | 33131 | $518.62
- Imperial at Brickell – 1627 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $263.68
- Jade – 1331 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $362.33
- Latitude on the River – 185 SW 7 St | 33130 | N/A
- Neo Vertika – 690 SW 1 Ct | 33130 | $221.73
- One Miami – 325 & 335 S Biscayne Blvd | 33131 | $254.09
- Santa Maria – 1643 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $756.82
- Skyline on Brickell – 2101 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $278.43
- Solaris at Brickell – 186 SE 12 Ter | 33131 | $201.59
- The Club at Brickell Bay – 1200 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $188.28
- The Mark on Brickell – 1155 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $228.61
- The Palace – 1541 Brickell Ave | 33129 | N/A
- Villa Regina – 1581 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $256.71
- Vue at Brickell – 1250 S Miami Ave | 33131 | $147.18
Below you will find some additional statistics. Click on the image to enlarge it.
The first column to the right of each condo development’s name is the difference in the average sales price and list price for this month, expressed as a percentage. An “N/A” is found next to Latitude on the River and The Palace since this percentage could not be computed as each building failed to have a closed sale within the past six months through the MLS. A high percentage indicates that there is a large discrepancy between the average asking price for condos currently on the market and what has actually sold within the past six months.
The second column is the number of active listings in each condo development currently in the MLS. The third column shows the percentage that these listings represent over the total number of condo units in each development. The cells highlighted in green reveal those condo developments that have active listings that represent less than 10 percent of the the overall units in the building. This is typically one indication of a sound condo building. Bristol Tower, Four Seasons Residences, Imperial at Brickell, Latitude on the River, The Palace and Villa Regina are the condo buildings highlighted in green. However, I think it’s too soon to use this rule of thumb for Latitude on the River. It’s too new of a development. Short-sales and foreclosures have just started to hit the market there. The ones highlighted in red reveal those condo developments that have active listings that represent over 20 percent of the overall units. There’s definitely underlying risk in buying in these condo developments and I’d only advise buying in one of these if the price justifies the risk. As in the November update, Solaris at Brickell is the only condo developments highlighted in red. This is usually a good indication that prices will fall further in future months.
The fourth column shows the number of condos currently pending sale. There are currently a total of 81 pending sales in the 18 condo buildings represented in the Brickell Condo Index. I did not include pending sales that went pending before November 1, 2008. The fifth column displays the number of closed condo sales within the past six months. The 18 Brickell condo developments have had a total of 198 condos close within that time frame. The vast majority of these closings occurred in just a handful of the condo developments. Latitude on the River and The Palace were the only two condo buildings that haven’t had a condo close within the past six months.
The sixth column shows the difference in the average list prices from this month’s and November’s, expressed as a percentage. Those highlighted in red reveal those condo developments which had a drop in their average list price while those highlighted in green show those that showed an increase. Bristol Tower was the only condo development that had an increase in asking prices since November. In just three month’s time, average asking prices fell about 15 percent at Imperial at Brickell and Solaris at Brickell, 14 percent at Vue at Brickell and 10 percent at Brickell on the River.
The seventh column reveals the difference in average sales prices from this month’s and November’s, expressed as a percentage. The Mark on Brickell saw the largest drop with a 20.95 percent decline. Brickell on the River, Emerald at Brickell, Imperial at Brickell and One Miami also had double digits drops. Average sales prices at Santa Maria increased about 14 percent but it should be noted that only one closed sale occurred within the past six months.
I thought it would be interesting to see how prices compare now to those we saw a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t publish a Brickell Condo Index 12 months ago. However, I used data from the November 2007 Brickell Condo Index to create the charts below to compare current prices to those we saw 15 months ago. Click on the images below to enlarge them.
(Below) Percentage Change in Average $/SqFt of List Prices Within 15 Months:
(Below) Percentage Change in Average $/SqFt of Sales Prices Within the Last 15 Months:
Keep in mind that condo prices in Miami peaked around the beginning of 2006. The graphs above would be all the more shocking if we were to cross compare current prices to those we saw at that time. By November 2007, Miami condo prices had already fallen significantly.
One positive thing to note is that the number of condos on the market in the condo buildings comprised in the Brickell Condo Index is down about 26 percent since November 2007. (This excludes Latitude on the River which had not been included in the Brickell Condo Index at that time.) Emerald at Brickell and Santa Maria are the only condo developments in the Brickell Condo Index that now have more condos listed than in November 2007. To put this into perspective, the number of listed condos at Vue at Brickell 15 months ago represented a little over 24 percent of the total condos in the building. Current inventory at Vue at Brickell represents slightly more than 13 percent.
New Miami Condos – Closing Rates for February 2009
It’s been a few months since my last Miami condo closing rate update. The percentage of closed units for 25 major condo developments are provided below, starting with the first development to begin closings. Four condo developments have been added: Icon Brickell, Everglades on the Bay, Infinity at Brickell and Epic. You’ll find these towards the bottom of this post.
Below, you will find the date that each condo development began closings followed by the number of closed units in each condo development:
With the exception of Onyx on the Bay and 50 Biscayne, the first group above has remained unchanged. Onyx on the Bay was able to close one additional condo while 50 Biscayne was able to close two.
Quantum on the Bay and Plaza on Brickell once again were able to show a decent improvement in their closing rate. Quantum on the Bay closed an additional 14 condos while Plaza on Brickell was able to close 21. 1800 Club did not have any new closings but I did find another deed that had been recorded twice. This is the reason why the total number of closed condos in this update is one less than the total stated in the December 2008 post for 1800 Club. It needs just 7 more closed condos to hit the all-important 70 percent mark.
As a result of the 60-unit bulk sale, Marina Blue showed the most improvement of the above five condo developments since the last update. I did, however, find re-recorded deeds for Marina Blue that I had previously missed. The developer of Marina Blue has now closed around 82% of the total number of units.
In my opinion, the five condo developments above are all likely candidates for some sort of bulk deal taking place in the future. Met 1 was able to close 7 additional units, Asia 2, 900 Biscayne Bay 13, 500 Brickell 17 and Axis 8. As a result of the new Fannie Mae guidelines, it is not likely that we’ll see significant improvement in any of the condo developments that haven’t thus far reached the 70 percent mark.
Above, you’ll find the four newly added condo developments which began closings within the past 3 months. Timing could not have been worse for these four. They’re going to need to find a plethora of cash buyers who are willing to pay dated prices. Ivy at Riverfront, which began closings back in June 2008, was able to close 14 additional condos since the December 2008 update.
The bright side is that the condo construction cranes of Miami are gone. The cranes that remain are for commercial developments. Marquis and Paramount Bay, which should begin closings within the next 3 months, will be the last of the newly constructed condos to hit the market in Miami. It does appear, however, that Met 3 has begun to lay its foundation. Hopefully, the condo market will reach some sort of equilibrium by the time that development has been completed.
Disclaimer: The above closing rate information was derived from public County records. There can be a 2-3 week delay from the time that a closing occurs and the time that the closing is recorded. The information above is not deemed 100 percent accurate as a result of delays in the recording of deeds and deeds being re-recorded.
Distressed Condos Report – New Condo Developments
The spreadsheet below reveals 13 distressed condos currently listed in the MLS which reside in developments in Miami completed within the past two years. I expect this list to grow in coming months. I plan to provide future updates with new listings as well as track the outcome of condos previously listed. 12 of the 13 condos listed below are short-sales. The foreclosure process can be quite lengthy so I don’t expect to see many distressed condos in new developments become bank owned until at least the second half of the year.
View Full Spreadsheet
2 Bedroom Foreclosure at Latitude on the River – $266,000
Within the past three months, I’ve seen a handful of short-sale condos at Latitude on the River become available on the MLS. Earlier today, however, I came across the first bank-owned foreclosure condo in the building to appear.
The foreclosure condo is a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath with 1,212 square feet of interior and a 196 square foot balcony. The condo comes “decorator-ready” with concrete floors, as delivered by the developer, and is located on the southwest corner of the 20th floor. The list price is $266,000, or $219 per square foot. The most recent Brickell Condo Index published in November 2008 revealed that the average list price of condos available at Latitude on the River was $366 per square foot. There had not been any closed sales in the building at the time within the prior six months and there haven’t been any since. Lack of closed sales clearly means that prices of available condos at Latitude on the River haven’t yet fallen to a level that will attract buyers. It’ll be interesting to see if the 2 bedroom foreclosure condo at Latitude on the River will spark the interest of buyers.
View the pictures and listing information for the 2 bedroom condo foreclosure at Latitude on the River.
Miami Condo Index – Brickell – November 2008
It’s been three months since I last released the Brickell Condo Index. The last update for Brickell condos was published in August 2008. The data used to create the statistics below was collected on November 18, 2008 from the MLS. You may want to also compare the statistics below to those published a year ago in November 2007. It really helps to put into perspective how inflated prices were a year ago in some of the condo developments in Brickell.
The Brickell Condo Index now stands at an average price of $429.52 per square foot. This represents a 2.28 percent drop in the average asking prices of the 18 condo developments that comprise the Brickell Condo Index over the past three months.
Average price per square foot of Brickell condos currently listed on the MLS:
The average price of Brickell condos sold over the past six months has dropped 7.13 percent to $291.59 per square foot from August’s average of $313.97. As with the last update, the average would normally be higher had a sale occurred in the MLS within the past six months at Four Seasons Residences, which sells at the highest price per square foot of the 18 condo developments comprising the Brickell Condo Index.
Average price per square foot of Brickell condos sold in the MLS within the past six months:
- Atlantis – 2025 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $250.71
- Brickell on the River – 31 SE 5 St | 33131 | $264.63
- Bristol Tower – 2127 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $364.86
- Emerald at Brickell – 218 SE 14 St | 33131 | $238.88
- Four Seasons Residences – 1425 Brickell Ave | 33131 | N/A
- Imperial at Brickell – 1627 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $316.83
- Jade – 1331 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $385.81
- Latitude on the River – 185 SW 7 St | 33130 | N/A
- Neo Vertika – 690 SW 1 Ct | 33130 | $228.00
- One Miami – 325 & 335 S Biscayne Blvd | 33131 | $296.13
- Santa Maria – 1643 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $661.70
- Skyline on Brickell – 2101 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $298.68
- Solaris at Brickell – 186 SE 12 Ter | 33131 | $200.00
- The Club at Brickell Bay – 1200 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $201.44
- The Mark on Brickell – 1155 Brickell Bay Dr | 33131 | $289.18
- The Palace – 1541 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $260.14
- Villa Regina – 1581 Brickell Ave | 33129 | $249.88
- Vue at Brickell – 1250 S Miami Ave | 33131 | $158.55
Below you will find some additional statistics:
The first column to the right of each condo development’s name is the difference in the average sales price and list price for this month, expressed as a percentage. An “N/A” is found next to Four Seasons Residences and Latitude on the River since this percentage could not be computed as each building failed to have a closed sale within the past six months through the MLS. A high percentage indicates that there is a large discrepancy between the average asking price for condos currently on the market and what has actually sold within the past six months.
The second column is the number of active listings in each condo development currently in the MLS. The third column shows the percentage that these listings represent over the total number of condo units in each development. The cells highlighted in green reveal those condo developments that have active listings that represent less than 10 percent of the the overall units in the building. To me, this is one indication of a sound condo development. Atlantis, Bristol Tower, Four Seasons Residences, Imperial at Brickell, The Palace and Villa Regina are the condo buildings highlighted in green. The ones highlighted in red reveal those condo developments that have active listings that represent over 20 percent of the overall units in the building. There’s definitely underlying risk in buying in these condo developments and I’d only advise buying in one of these if the price justifies the risk. This month, Solaris at Brickell is the only condo developments highlighted in red. This is usually a good indication that prices will fall further in future months. The condo developments with active listings less than 10 percent are considered safe, in my opinion, and anything in the 10-15 percent range is considered normal, even in a healthy market.
The fourth column shows the number of pending sales while the fifth column displays the number of closed sales within the past six months. There are a total of 94 total pending sales in the 18 condo buildings represented in the Brickell Condo Index. In August, there were a total of 79 pending sales at the time. Once again, The Club at Brickell Bay, Vue at Brickell and Jade each have pending sales in the double digits. The same goes for closed sales within the past six months in each of these condo developments. Skyline on Brickell also hit the double digit mark with a totla of 13 closed sales in the MLS within the past six months. In August, there were a total of 123 closed sales within the past six months. This figure has gone up almost 32 percent since the August update. The 18 Brickell condo developments had a total of 164 closed sales within the past six months.The vast majority of these closings occurred in just a handful of the condo developments, however. 8 of the condo developments had three or less closings within the past six months.
The sixth column shows the difference in the average list prices from this month’s and August’s, expressed as a percentage. Those highlighted in red reveal those condo developments which had a drop in their average list price while those highlighted in green show those that had an increase. Emerald at Brickell saw asking prices drop a little over 10.5 percent while Solaris at Brickell shed about 9.8 percent from its average asking price in August. An increase in average asking prices occurred in 8 of the condo developments in the Brickell Condo Index.
The seventh column reveals the difference in average sales prices from this month’s and August’s, expressed as a percentage. Vue at Brickell saw the largest drop with a 15.94 percent decline. Jade, Neo Vertika, The Club at Brickell Bay and Villa Regina also had double digits drops. It should be noted that Villa Regina only had one closed sale within the past six months to calculate its new average. Atlantis, Santa Maria, Skyline on Brickell and The Palace each experienced an increase in their average sales prices for the previous six months.
Vue at Brickell is very, very close to hitting the $150 average per square foot mark for closed sales over the previous six months. In August, the condos available on the market at Vue at Brickell represented about 28 percent of the overall units in the building. This figure now resides at around 17 percent. It will be interesting to see how much lower the average price per square foot of condos sold at Vue at Brickell will go if inventory levels continue to improve. As I mentioned earlier, the 10-15 percent range is normal even in a healthy market. Perhaps some sort of stability is right around the corner for Vue at Brickell. The same can be said for Jade and The Club at Brickell which have also continued to show progress in reaching normal inventory levels.
